ThinkTwice with Pausito - Project Description

Overview

ThinkTwice is a Chrome extension that empowers users to make conscious purchasing decisions by creating a deliberate pause before completing online purchases. The extension detects checkout processes and intervenes with a 30-second reflection period, helping users combat impulse buying and manipulative e-commerce design patterns.

Problem Statement

84% of Chilean consumers have made impulsive online purchases they later regret. E-commerce platforms employ psychological manipulation techniques known as "dark patterns" that exploit cognitive biases:

False urgency timers
Artificial scarcity ("Only 2 left!")
Frictionless purchasing (one-click checkout)
Persistent notifications exploiting FOMO

These practices lead to debt, financial stress, regret, and unhealthy consumption cycles that impact future generations.

Solution

ThinkTwice is an AI-powered Chrome extension that:

Detects automatically when users are about to complete a purchase
Creates a pause with a 30-second mandatory reflection period
Analyzes patterns using AI to personalize interventions
Empowers decisions - doesn't block purchases, but ensures they're conscious choices

How It Works

User navigates e-commerce sites (MercadoLibre, Amazon, Falabella, etc.)
↓
Clicks "Buy" or reaches checkout page
↓
ThinkTwice detects payment page and presents modal
↓
30-second pause + Pausito character + reflection prompts
↓
AI analyzes purchase history and provides personalized context
↓
User decides: continue or cancel purchase

Technical Architecture

Frontend - Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)

Key Components:

content.js - Real-time checkout detector using 4 combined heuristics:
- URL pattern analysis (/checkout, /cart, /payment)
- Form field detection (credit card, CVV, billing address)
- Text content analysis ("Complete Purchase", "Pay Now")
- HTML selector matching for payment elements
background.js - Service worker coordinator
popup.js - User interface and settings management
Detection precision: >70% confidence threshold for intervention

Features:

Manifest V3 compliant
Real-time detection using MutationObserver
Supports dynamic single-page applications
CORS-enabled API integration
Persistent user settings

Backend - AWS Lambda (Serverless)

Technology Stack:

Node.js 20.x with TypeScript
AWS Lambda for serverless compute
API Gateway for REST endpoints
CloudWatch for monitoring and logging
Infrastructure as Code (AWS SAM)

Capabilities:

Purchase pattern analysis
AI-powered personalization
Auto-scaling serverless architecture
RESTful API for extension communication

CI/CD Pipeline

GitHub Actions for automated deployment
Continuous integration and testing
Automated releases to GitHub

Key Features

Smart Detection

Multi-heuristic checkout page detection
Support for major e-commerce platforms
Dynamic page monitoring for SPA frameworks

Personalized Intervention

AI-driven analysis of purchase context
User behavior pattern recognition
Customized reflection prompts

User Experience

30-second mandatory pause with Pausito character
Toggle on/off from extension popup
Non-blocking - users maintain full control

Impact

Individual Impact

Estimated savings: $100,000 CLP/month per user
Reduced financial stress and post-purchase regret
Improved impulse control and healthy consumption habits

Social Impact

Combats dark patterns and psychological manipulation
Passive financial education during shopping
Breaks debt cycles affecting future generations

Success Metrics

Percentage of purchases canceled after intervention
Accumulated savings for active users
User satisfaction and retention rates

Technology Stack

Frontend:

Vanilla JavaScript (Chrome Extension)
Manifest V3
Chrome Storage API
MutationObserver API

Backend:

TypeScript
Node.js 20.x
AWS Lambda
AWS SAM (Serverless Application Model)
API Gateway

Infrastructure:

AWS Cloud
GitHub Actions (CI/CD)
CloudWatch (Monitoring)

Installation & Usage

For End Users

Download the extension from GitHub Releases
Extract the zip file
Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
Enable "Developer mode"
Click "Load unpacked extension"
Select the extracted folder
Shop normally - ThinkTwice will intervene automatically at checkout

For Developers

Chrome Extension:

git clone https://github.com/platanus-hack/platanus-hack-25-team-11.git
cd platanus-hack-25-team-11/chrome-extension
# Load unpacked extension in Chrome

Backend:

cd think-twice
npm install
npm run build
sam build
sam deploy --guided

Project Structure

platanus-hack-25-team-11/
├── chrome-extension/          # Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)
│   ├── manifest.json         # Extension configuration
│   ├── content.js            # Checkout detector
│   ├── background.js         # Service worker
│   ├── popup.html/js         # User interface
│   ├── icons/                # Extension icons
│   └── videos/               # Pausito character videos
│
├── think-twice/              # AWS Lambda Backend
│   ├── src/index.ts         # Lambda handler
│   ├── template.yaml        # SAM Infrastructure
│   └── samconfig.toml       # Deployment config
│
└── .github/workflows/        # CI/CD Pipeline
    └── deploy.yml           # GitHub Actions

Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP (Current) ✓

Functional Chrome extension
Automatic checkout detection
30-second pause mechanism
Serverless backend

Phase 2: AI Personalization (Next 3 months)

ML model for pattern analysis
Adaptive interventions per user
WhatsApp notifications
Savings dashboard and metrics

Phase 3: Expansion (6-12 months)

Mobile app (iOS + Android)
Integration with Chilean banks
Predictive financial health analysis
LATAM expansion

Long-term Vision

Global marketplace: Chile → LATAM → Worldwide
Complete banking integration with real-time alerts
Financial wellness ecosystem platform

Team

Team 11 - Platanus Hack 2025

Mitchel Jimenez - @mitcheljimenez
Luis Leiva - @lileiva
Andres Gonzalez - @AndresGonzalez5
Verner Codoceo - @vacodoceo

Track: Fintech + Digital Security Hackathon: Platanus Hack 2025 Submission: November 23, 2025, 9:00 AM (Chile Time)

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

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ThinkTwice with Pausito